


Operation HoHoHo

by Dancingwithstarlightatmidnight



Category: Phan
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-05-07 09:08:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5451173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dancingwithstarlightatmidnight/pseuds/Dancingwithstarlightatmidnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil has never had a Christmas in his few years of living.<br/>His new best friend, Dan, makes it his personal mission to make up 18 years in one week.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Operation HoHoHo

**Author's Note:**

> Dan is a witch which is barely ever mentioned, I just can't write anything too realistic xD

Phil's family never celebrated Christmas, really.

He grew up horribly poor, barely able to afford school and basic needs.

His parents both worked multiple jobs trying to support their household, leaving Phil alone for most of his life.

 

The moment he turned eighteen, Phil fled. He wrote a hasty "Thanks for loving me" on a piece of paper and left.

Somehow, he walked and hitchhiked all the way to Manchester, where he met me.

The moment I saw him, I knew I was meant to know him; some sort of witch sense, I suppose.

Phil didn't know what I was, of course, even when I took the battered boy in. Even when I told him he could live with me. Even when I fell in love with him.

He's been living here for at least five moths, and we're already best friends (A year ago, I'd have laughed if you had told me I'd be in love with my best friend whom I met only five months ago).

 

 

"We never really did anything for Christmas,' Phil said slowly, watching as I put my horde of decorations.

"So I've been told," I replied, sneaking a sprig of some sort of happiness-inducing herb behind an ornament.

"Why would little children find the idea of an old fat man sneaking into their house exciting?"

I sighed. "You're ruining the magic, Phil."

He only laughed halfheartedly.

It was then that I devised a plan to get him caught up on the 18 years of Christmasses he missed out on.

\---------------

Day 1 of Operation HoHoHo - 7 Days Before Christmas

\---------------

I made it snow today. Last night, I did a ritual that ensured a festive snowfall, instead of it's persistent cloud of wet sleet.

"Phil!" I yell, running into his room. "It's snowing!"

He poked his head of of his bundle of blankets. "You're acting like you've never seen snow before, Dan."

I gasped in faux horror. "It's snow! How can you not be excited?!"

"I hate snow."

My heart dropped as my face did. 

He hated snow?

It was only the first step of my plan and I've already failed.

"Too bad. We're going outside." I ordered, trying to mask it. "Get up and put on your coat."

He groaned, pulling the duvet more over himself.

Smiling deviously, I exited the room and waved my hand. A loud thump sounded from the other room as my magic forced him out of bed, followed by a "The fuck?!"

"You okay?" I yelled over my shoulder, knowing perfectly well he would be.

He groaned once more. "Yeah, I swear, a big gust of wind blew me out of bed."

"It's a sign, saying 'Go outside with Dan.'"

~  
Phil eventually caved, getting dressed and putting on a coat whilst trying to talk me out of the idea.

"But Daaaaaan! What if the building's entrance is snowed in when we get back, and we can't get back in?"

"Phiiiiiiil! Stop making excuses! This is going to be fun!" I say excitedly, making a show of sticking out my tongue to catch a snowflake.

He finally smiled. "I know. I just... Don't have good holiday memories..."

That's why I'm making new ones for you, I thought.  
"Go on!" I say aloud. "Stick out your tongue. Catch one!"  
Phil hesitantly stuck out his tongue, looking at the sky with squinted eyes.  
He stopped walking suddenly, a look of surprise on his face. "I caught one!!!" He exclaimed, startling a group of mothers with young children who were walking past.

I beamed at how excited he was.

\---------------

Day 2 of Operation HoHoHo- 6 days before Christmas

\---------------

Another part of Christmas is snowmen.  
This time, I didn't have to practically drag Phil outside, as he suggested it with a wide grin.

"I can't believe you actually chose to go outside, Phil!" I exclaimed as we walked to the park near our flat.

He blushed, embarrassed. "Well, I had fun yesterday,"

Good.

Finally, we reached the park, which was surprisingly empty for it being in the middle of London a week before Christmas.

"We should make a snowman," I suggest suddenly, completely startling my friend.

"I'll watch. I don't know-"

I bumped his shoulder. "Shut up, Phil! You're helping!"  
~  
"Who knew snow could be so heavy?!"  
The black-haired boy grunted, attempting to roll the base of the snowman one last time.

I laughed in response, continuing to work on the middle piece.

He finally gave up, satisfied with the size of the snowballs. "This is harder work than it looks!"

"But still fun! Now help me lift this up!"  
Dan nodded with a smile, brushing the snow off himself.

It amazed me how well this was going ; I've barely used magic today!

"Now for the head," he whispered once the body was in place. 

"Need help?"

"NO! Just... Look for things to make the face out of!"

I nodded, a sly smile on my face as I saw his excitement.  
Not far away was a tree, pine cones littering the ground surrounding it.  
Picking up two, as well as an oddly bent stick forming a smiley face and a piece of bark, I returned to the working boy.  
"I have returned!"

Phil gestured dramatically towards the snowman. "Place his face!"

I put in the pine one eyes and the bark nose, handing the strange stick to Phil.  
"Would you like to do the honors?"

He took the stick, gently sticking it in place. "It's perfect."

\---------------

Day 3 of operation HoHoHo - 5 days before Christmas 

\---------------

"I'm still cold from yesterday, Dan!" Phil whined, plopping down next to me on the couch. "Can we just stay in today?"

Everything is going according to plan! I thought excitedly.  
"Of course! You pick something to watch, I'm going to get a surprise!"

He blushed, trying to hide his blush behind a bundle of blankets.

I got up and walked to the kitchen.  
Today's main course is hot chocolate; another holiday classic.  
Not too keen on wasting time, I summoned a small flame and warmed the two mugs of water I set out, then poured in the mix.  
One, two, three giant marshmallows later and I was migrating back to the lounge, mugs in hand.

"Did someone order liquid warmth?" I say, holding them up as if I were in a game show.

Phil's face lit up. "Is that what I think it is?!" He squealed.

I giggled. "If  you're thinking it's hot chocolate, then yes."

I sat down next to him, handing him a mug. "So what did you pick for us to watch?"

"Well, I picked this new anime that was in the recommended list on Netflix..."

\---------------

Day 4 of operation HoHoHo- 4 Days before Christmas

\---------------

Phil groaned as he flipped through the TV channels. "There's nothing to watch!"

I grunted in agreement. Today was supposed to be a day where both of our friends came over and hung out, but everyone said it was snowing too hard today, resulting in a total backfire.

I opted to just watch TV with Phil until I thought of something.

I didn't have any clue what to do today without messing up my schedule for the week, until the sound of "KEVIN!!" erupted from the TV's speakers.

An idea struck me. "Oh oh! Leave it on!"

He looked confused, but put the remote down, nonetheless. "What is this?"

I stared at him in disbelief. "Are you kidding??" He shook his head. "It's Home Alone, you spork! It's one of the signature Christmas movies,"

He shrugged, gaze fixed on the TV as the movie played.  
"Why would that kid be home by himself anyway?"

~

The end credits of our fourth Christmas movie of the day rolled, leaving Phil in awe.  
"Okay, I'll admit, Christmas movies aren't half bad." He said, giving me a gobsmacked look.

I chuckled, turning to face him in the couch. "I told you! Their cheesiness touches you strangely, doesn't it?"

"Yes completely! Who knew a story about a weird green creature hating it would make a good movie?!"

"Apparently Dr. Seuss." 

"Can we watch one more?" Phil asked, tooling down timidly.

"Of course!" I replied, scoffing. "Christmas movies galore for you, Philip."

\---------------

Day 5 of operation HoHoHo- 3 days before Christmas

\---------------

I woke up to the sound of hushed voices.  
The realization hit me like a bag of bricks; it was half past noon, and Phil's friends had surely arrived by now.  
"Shit." I mumbled, literally rolling out of bed and trying to find suitable clothes to wear. 

"Dan? Are you up?" Phil yelled.

"Uh, y-yeah! Give me a second!"  
I quickly threw on a shirt and some jeans before running out into the lounge.

"Hey, sorry! Phil why didn't you wake me up?"

He scoffed, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. "Believe be, I tried."

Phil's two friends, Angela and Eric, laughed from the ding table they were currently sitting at.  
"Long time no see, Dan!" Eric said, flashing a smile.  
"Yeah, we haven't seen you two in ages!" Angela finished.

"Well it's a good thing we have..." He trailed off, yanking a box off the game shelf. "CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY!"

"Yes!!" His two friends yelled in unison.

~

"It amazes me how you guys can immediately know who the other is," Angela remarked after Phil and I won another round of charades.

Phil grinned. "What can I say? I'm telepathic."

"We should switch teams," Eric stated, narrowing his eyes playfully. "Your telepathic powers are an obvious cheat."

"Bring it on."

Angela grabbed Phil by the arm and yanked him over by her. "Your telepathy powers better work on me too, Phil!"

 

\---------------

Day 6 of Operation HoHoHo - 1 Day Before Christmas (Christmas Eve)

\---------------

"Since the tree is already put up, lets deck out the rest of the house!" I suggested.

 

Phil shrugged casually in agreement, though I could see that he wasn't as reluctant to participate than in the past few days.

I led him to my closet of holiday decorations (88% Christmas) and handed him a box.

"Hmnh!" He grunted, grip slipping slightly on his load. "What kind of Christmas decorations weigh more than a human being??"

"Mine." I replied, stifling a laugh. "Don't worry, there's plenty more whee that came from!"

He rolled his eyes, turning to bring the box into the lounge, me following suit.

The box opened with a puff of glitter and an overwhelming wreath scent, causing Phil to spiral into a coughing fit.

"I think I'm allergic to Christmas," He remarked as he peered into the box.

Inside were multiple figurines of Santa and the various reindeer, along with rolls upon rolls of fake silver tinsel. 

The black-haired boy held up the tinsel as if to say "what alien planet is this from?!"

"Shut up! You hang it up on your wall and stuff. Come on."

I supplied a box of push pins from the back pocket of my jeans and handed it to the other.

"Go on. Deck the halls, Rudolph"

~

Maybe giving Phil the freedom to decorate the flat unsupervised wasn't such a good idea.

The place looked like the main square at the shopping center; complete with cheesy holiday classics blasting through the stereo.

"Uh... Phil?" I called out hesitantly.

 

A head wearing a Santa hat poked out from around the corner, just far enough to see Phil's eyes. "Do you like my decking of the halls?"

 

"Yes, of course," I coughed awkwardly. " Did you have fun?"

The rest of Phil came around the corner, bouncing excitedly. "Yes! Look look, I put the wreath string thingies on the ceiling.

"Tinsel."

"Yeah, tinsel! And I put ornaments hanging from them! See?!"

"Good job Phil!" I praised, smiling finally. Who was I to take that smile away? "I got some holiday-esque things from the store, want to look?"

After the ok, I was led back into the lounge and to the table, where I dumped the contents of the plastic back out onto the surface.

"Gingerbread hand soap...Peppermint body wash... A COOKIE TIN!!"

"Yes a cookie tin." I chuckled.

"Can I have one?" He asked, suddenly very quiet and shy.

I gestured towards the tin. "Of course, Santa. Go ahead."

And in that moment, I didn't care that I'd probably have to go full out Fantasia on the apartment, I just loved Phil's smile.

\---------------

Day 7 of Operation HoHoHo - 0 Days before Christmas (Christmas)

\---------------

 

"Dan! Wake up wake up wake up!" Phil yelled whilst bouncing on my bed.

I smiledat the fact that I barely needed the plan; all he needed wasa little push.

"Yes, Phil?"

He beamed, placing a moderately sized wrapped gift. "I got you a present."

"You did? When would you even have time to get one?"

"I might've snuck out to get you one..." He replied, trailing off with a sly smile. "Open it!"

With a smile, I sat up and tore open the festively wrapped box.  
I gasped when I saw what it was.  
A soft teddy bear sat in the box, head tilted up as if asking to be released from its dark prison and into someone's arms.  
"Phil, oh my god!" The animal was instantly in my arms and being hugged fiercely. "I love it!"  
The bear was as white and fluffy as a cotton ball, a Santa hat on his head and a cheesy (but undeniably adorable) reindeer jumper.  
After the bear had gotten it's fair share of praise, I hugged Phil with just as much passion, if not more.

I could feel his surprise radiating off him. "I'm glad you like it,"

"Like it?! I love it!"  
A comfortable silence stretched between us for a few minutes, before Phil cleared his throat. 

"This is the first Christmas gift I've ever gotten someone. It feels... Nice."

I smiled. "I'm honored to be the first." Pausing, I leaned over the side of the bed and pulled out the bag holding Phil's gift. "Your turn."

He smiled quickly at me before pulling out the tissue paper and peering in.  
I was suddenly scared for his reaction.  
"It's definitely not as sentimental as your gift, but I thought you'd enjoy-" 

"Shut up! I love it."  
He pulled out the jumbo Christmas pack of bath bombs, grinning like someone who was just shown a kitten.  
"You know, Christmas isn't that bad after all."

Unable to help myself, I rushed forward to the figure on my bed and enveloped him in a bone crushing hug. "Merry Christmas, Phil."


End file.
